Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Food Producers: Content Restrictions

Thursday 21 January 2021 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Greg Smith asked about the potential effect on UK food producers of proposed restrictions on promotions of products high in fat, salt and sugar.
  • Colleagues in the Department for Health and Social Care conducted a consultation on the proposal to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar in stores.
  • The inclusion of breakfast cereals in the proposals is causing concern among cereal growers and the wider breakfast cereal industry.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The question arises from the Department for Health and Social Care's consultation on restricting promotions of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential effect on UK food producers of proposed restrictions on promotions of products high in fat, salt and sugar?

Answer from George Eustice

Colleagues in the Department for Health and Social Care carried out a consultation on the proposal to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, salt and sugar in stores. The Government's response to the consultation and the impact assessment were published on 28 December 2020.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide specific details about the impact on UK food producers or commit to further actions.

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Q2 Greg Smith Con Mid Buckinghamshire
Agriculture & Rural Affairs
Context

The inclusion of breakfast cereals in the proposal for restricting promotions is causing concern among cereal growers and the industry, as there are naturally occurring sugars and fats from dried fruits and nuts.

Question

The inclusion of breakfast cereals in the proposals for restricting the promotion of these products is causing real concern to cereal growers in my constituency, such as Morris of Hoggeston, and the wider breakfast cereal industry. particularly as there is no allowance for the naturally occurring sugars and fats from the dried fruits and nuts often put with cereals such as granola, porridge and muesli. Will my right hon. Friend advise what assessment has been made of the impact on UK farmers of these proposals and work with colleagues, particularly in the Department of Health and Social Care, to see more common sense applied to breakfast cereals?

Answer from George Eustice

My hon. Friend raises an important point. Cereals, such as those are grown in my hon. Friend's constituency, are an important source of healthy food. Breakfast cereals will be captured by DHSC's policy only if they are classified as high in salt, fat or sugar, and the nutrient profiling model used by Public Health England accounts for the nutritional benefits of cereals, fruits and nuts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to further assessments or actions specific to cereal growers' concerns.

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